January
I like winter. I know that many people don’t. They can’t stand the cold and the darkness. It isn’t just the long nights/short days, but even the days themselves seem darker. It can be depressing here in New England in winter.
Today was the first really cold day after a week of relatively warm weather. The coating of snow that managed to last through Christmas was gone by last weekend. It was nice to have a “white Christmas”, I can’t actually remember the last time we had one here in Rhode Island. We had some springlike days last week and then this morning winter was back.
I can’t blame anyone who doesn’t like the cold or the darkness of winter. Talk to me in July and August when I am laid low by the heat and humidity. Summer is not a season for huskier, Slavic gentlemen such as myself.
Winter is a quieter time. Possibly a more reflective time. I don’t mind being inside and I don’t mind the dark. It is nice to be able to spend time writing and wonder if I am missing out. Usually there a few summer canoe/kayak/camping trips. I don’t make it on many of them anymore. There are trips to my in-laws pool and I miss more of them than I care to admit to.
I am working on a book now that is due by mid-spring. The long, quiet nights, are the perfect time to write. The snow, when it comes, will make everything seem more still and quiet. Come spring and summer the roads will resonate with roar of motorcycles. The yards in my plat will be attacked by a legion of landscapers, riding on their lawn mowing steeds and wielding equally loud leaf blowers. Spring is a tough time to write. So with apologies to all who hate the cold and dark of winter, I hope it is a long one so that meeting my deadline is that much easier.